Homecoming
by fantasyfreak133
Summary: After seven years in Japan and battling the seas Jack Fletcher has returned home from England seeking his young sister Jess. But his welcome home isn't as sweet as he thought it would be.


**This takes place after "Way of the Dragon" when I didn't know he had written a WHOLE NEW SERIES! Anyway, I had been so sad after I finished reading the third book that I wrote this to show how Jack comes home and finally reunites with his little sister.**

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**HOMECOMING**

Jack Fletcher walked quickly through the cobblestone streets of London, England. He held his two samurai swords and his _inro_, folded carefully in his _kimono_, under his arm. And, of course, his father's precious _rutter_, bound in its protective oil skin. The rutter was his most prized position, he had risked life and limb to protect it from the evil ninja, Dragon Eye, and even the lives of his friends. But he had vowed never to do that again; he would never put his friends – or anyone – in danger ever again. The rutter was a map of the seas. With it, one could rule the trading routs around the world. He walked quickly, but his keen steel blue eyes took in everything. He drank in all the sights like they were the purist kind of juice you could ever find. It had been almost seven years since her had laid eyes on his mother country, let alone his hometown.

After the war in Japan ended he and his best friend, Akiko, fled back to her childhood home deep in the countryside. He had stayed there for a while to rest and heal. After that he had said 'goodbye' to Akiko, her mother, and little Jiro, her little brother, and headed to Nagasaki, where he had hoped to find a ship bound for England. As a parting gift, because Jack had lost his own swords in the war between the emperor and the evil daimyo Kamakura, Akiko gave him her own deceased father's twin blood red swords. When he arrived in Nagasaki Jack encounter a ship headed to a port near England, The Diamond Shark. Hiring himself out as a rigging monkey he bought passage on the ship until they reached their destination. So as not to lose his expertise at the deadly Two Heaven's sword technique, taught to him by the great Masamoto Sama, Jack would entertain the rest of the crew by practicing for hours on the deck. The captain had not been happy with these lazy hours, but he had been fascinated by watching the crazy English boy with the long dark blonde hair and dagger like blue eyes whip around the ship, swinging his two blood red swords like a master samurai. Because of his obvious skill with the two swords no one on the ship dared to mess with him, so Jack arrived at a port near England with relatively no trouble.

From there it had only been a three day walk to London, an easy and leisurely trip compared with the grueling training sessions, long trips, wars, and fleeing from the enemy for miles without stopping in Japan. Now as he walked quickly and fluidly, he rejoiced once again that after seven years he had finally made it back home…alive.

Dogging carriages and strolling people in their modern fashion's finery, he glided his way through town, making no sound as his boots touched the ground. Having been trained as a samurai by the great Mesamoto Sama, Jack was agile, and silent, deadly and quick. His blonde hair, turned slightly darker over the years, fell against his forehead and into his piercing eyes – eyes turned hard and cold as stone from the things they had witnessed and saw; grueling training, prejudice, banishment, hardships, killing, war, the deaths of his father, mother and best friends. His lithe, muscular body leaned and swerved as he avoided the people and objects of the city. Two thin, white scars cut across both his cheeks, they glowed slightly in the bright light of the English summer.

As he walked through the London streets he recognized some of his old friends and neighbors, but they did not recognize, or even glance at him. He would have stopped and said 'hello,' tell them that he had finally returned home, but he had something more urgent, something much more important to do. He had to find his little sister Jess, see if she was alive and all right. He wondered if she was still living with they're old neighbor, Mrs. Winters, or if the old lady had finally died and Jess sent to the work houses.

Jack grimaced at the thought of his sweet little sister, Jess, working in those cruel, barbaric places. But, he thought with a little sadness. She would not be so little anymore. Not the bright little five year he had left behind so many years ago, but almost twelve, a young woman now.

He quickened his pace, excited and terrified at the thought of seeing his sister, the only relative he had left in the world, again. Soon his sure feet had led him out of the city and into the soft, rolling country side. As he walked everything began to become more familiar. The city had changed much in the seven years he had been gone, but the country side had remained pretty much the same. Silent, beautiful and teaming with life. Even as he walked the many birds broke into a merry song and a young hare jumped onto the path, but then quickly dashed away. He saw a few does and their young grazing quietly on the soft green hills, dotted with the many different colors of flowers, only found in his beloved England…not Japan. Japan – he had thought Japan a barbaric place filled with savages, he still thought that, to a certain degree. But after he had learned the ways of the people and their language and culture, he realized that Japan was a beautiful place, filled with peace and harmony, art and faith. He had loved Japan, loved all but the war and what he had witnessed during his last few months there; all of the killing he had been forced to do and the deaths of many friends. He had loved Japan, but England was his home.

Soon he was walking along his own street. He passed his old home. He felt saddened when he saw it. The windows were dark and the door barred. His mom's old garden was dead and full of climbing weeds. The white picket fence that had surrounded it was falling down and splintering, its white surface was now chipped and grey. Tearing his eyes away he forbid the tears that were gathering in his eyes to fall. His father, his mother, his friends, he had lost them all. Everyone but Jess. Sweet Jess. He had to see her!

Breaking into a fully fledged run Jack zipped by the other houses on the street. He saw curious faces peeking out from behind the shutters at the strange boy darting past, but he paid them no mind. Finally, only slightly out of breath, he reached old Mrs. Winters house. It too was falling down, but it also showed signs that people did live there.

With his heart bounding against his ribs Jack knocked on the door. When nobody answered, he knocked harder. He heard a light shuffling of feet and then the door cracked open. A pale face peeked out from around the door. Long golden blonde hair fell around the tiny porcelain face and into crystal clear blue eyes. He felt his heart sink a little, they were the same eyes as his own. Jess…

"What do you want?" she asked softly, but her voice was full of ice and hard, brittle rock.

Jack felt like as if he had been slapped in the face. She didn't remember him. "Jess," he said softly. "Don't you remember me? it's me, your brother…Jack…JACK FLETCHER, YOUR BROTHER!" he looked into her sweet, drawn face. Her face remained cold, but he had caught the little glimmer of something bright in her beautiful blue eyes…distrust? Joy? Hope? "Please remember," he pleaded softly.

He saw her large eyes flicker over his face, and then study him from head to foot. He saw her eyes linger on the two scars cutting across both of his cheeks and then to the kimono that held everything that he owned. "My brother is dead!" she spat. Just like my mother and father. He left almost seven years ago with father… left me here with the crazy old witch… left and never came back!"

Jack felt as if a dagger had pierced his heart at those words. Hiding his feelings he tried a different tactic. "Is Mrs. Winters here?"

She nodded.

"Can I see her?" he asked slowly, "she may be able to remember me."

Her eyes hardened. "Nobody sees her. Nobody but me. All she does is rant and complain in her room all day and all night. She is sick… dying… and she doesn't want to see anyone!" she added. She started to slam the door shut but Jack wedged his foot in between the door and the frame.

"Please?" he pleaded. "I need to. You're the only family I have left. You're all I have left…if you don't recognize or believe me…then maybe she will…"

Jess looked like she was about to shut the door in his face again, but she hesitated, and nodded, slowly opened the rickety door.

Before she could change her mind Jack dashed through the door and into the dark house. Jess looked like him curiously. "You looked so graceful just then, Jack never walked like that, he was as clumsy as an old duck! …and he didn't have any scars on his face either," she added.

"Time…can do many things to a boy—man, some good, some bad."

She nodded. "Follow me."

Jack followed her through the gloomy house. All the shades were drawn and the furniture old, and tattered. The floor squeaked under their feet and echoes bounced off the grey walls. The house was falling apart, and smelled of dry wood, and decay. Poor Jess, living in this ghost house for all these years with a crazy old witch woman. _She will never have to go through anything like this ever again, he vowed_, silently following the willowy figure of his sister down a hall and into a back room.

The room was dark, and smelled of the dying. Jack waited until his eyes had adjusted, and then scanned the small room. A wooden rocking chair sat in the corner with a small table beside it, a lamp rested on the table. A small bed was pushed up against the wall in the middle of the room, a nightstand sat at its side and a large wooden chest with a brass lock sat at its feet.

Jack walked silently up to the bed and peered down at it. The withered old figure that lay on it was nearly effulged by the many blankets and pillows surrounding her.

"Nana," Jess said softly. "Nana! Wake up! A young man is here who claims to be Jack."

The old woman stirred slightly. "What?! A young man here who claims to be Jack? Who's Jack? I know no Jack, now leave me to die in peace child…nsend him away."

Before Jess could do anything, Jack quickly walked over to the lamp in the corner, he flicked it on, a dim light flooded the room.

Mrs. Winters immediately began shrieking: "What is that light?! Ahhhh, its blinding me! My-my eyes are frying you useless child! Turn it off before I die right here and know! Who will be able to take of you then?"

"I will," Jack said firmly.

Jess' eyes went wide and Mrs. Winters shot up like a cannon bolt. "Jess!" she shrieked. "Who is this villain in my room? Get him out! Get him out I say!"

Jack looked to Jess, she looked to be in shock. Turning from her he gazed coolly at the old lady in the bed. "Mrs. Winters, it is I, Jack Fletcher, returned to my mother country of England at last... I have come for Jess."

Mrs. Winters stared wide eyes at Jack. "Impossible," she whispered hoarsely. "Jack Fletcher died with his father almost seven years ago, after they're ship sank at sea while they were on their way to Japan…" she paused, "and yet, you have the late Mr. Fletcher's nose, and your diseased mother's eyes… eyes as blue as a mirrored lake, just like young Jess' here…"

Jack went and knelt by the bed, he took the frail old woman's hand. "Yes, it is me. I have come home at last. When we were in sight of Japan, our ship was attacked by ninja's, ruthless murders, trained in a deadly art. They slaughtered the entire ship, I alone escaped. I was washed up upon the shore and found there by the great samurai swords man, Masamoto Sama. He took me in, and cared for like his own son. He trained me for three years as a samurai, it was only two years ago I was old enough to leave and find a ship bound for England… and here I am."

Jack could see tears gathering in the old woman's eyes. "Yes… yes it is you. Jess, this is your brother, come home to us at last…now, I can die in peace…"

Jack turned to his sister. He could see her lower lip trembling, hope and joy radiated from her behind tear filled eyes. "Jack?"

"Yes," he answered quietly.

"Jack? Yes… YES! It is you! Oh Jack! Jack my brother!" she flung herself onto him and he wrapped her in a giant hug. He kissed the top of her golden head lovingly, he could feel her crying against his chest, her frail body was shaking like a lone reed caught in a strong wind. "I thought you… I thought you were dead!" she choked. "Dead! Dead like mother and father. I-I thought I was going to be alone forever!"

Jack stroked her head. "Shshsh, it's all right… I'm home… home to take care of you for as long as you need me."

"I will always need you!" she sobbed. "Don't leave me… not ever, ever again!"

Jack shushed her lovingly. "I promise…"

She suddenly raised her tear streaked face to look into his own watering eyes. Her face broke into the most radiating smile, her face seemed to glow with happiness, in spite of the tears. "Welcome home, dear brother…"

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Yes…welcome home…"

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